This verse shows how Saul sought to trap David by offering him marriage to his daughter, hoping the Philistines would defeat him.
In this verse, we see King Saul’s hidden intent as “Saul thought, ‘I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ Therefore Saul said to David, ‘For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.’” (v.21) King Saul, who reigned over Israel approximately from 1050 BC to 1010 BC, conceives of a plan to use his daughter’s marriage to hinder David. Although David has already proven himself as a godly leader (as shown when he defeated Goliath in 1 Samuel 17), Saul seeks to exploit a family bond to place his young rival under continuous threat of enemy attack. The Philistines were a powerful group in the southwestern coastal region of Canaan, near the Mediterranean Sea, and they frequently warred with Israel. By giving his daughter to David, Saul hopes the Philistines’ aggression will serve as a stumbling block to the future king.
The subtlety in “that she may become a snare to him” (v.21) underscores Saul’s cunning nature. Instead of threatening David openly, Saul tries to manipulate circumstances so that David will face more challenges, hoping David will fall victim to the Philistines. Interestingly, the mention of “For a second time” (v.21) alludes to Saul’s earlier offer of his older daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:17-19), which did not come to fruition. Now Saul attempts once again to bring David into his family through Michal. This method of entrapment reveals how fear and jealousy can lead rulers to deceptive strategies, contrasting with the selfless leadership God desires (see John 10:14-15 for an example of sacrificial leadership shown in Jesus).
David’s acceptance of this marriage to Saul’s daughter would place him in the official role of a member of Saul’s royal house—an honor in appearance but ripe with potential danger. In the larger biblical narrative, David’s faith in God leads him to triumph over attempts to undermine him (2 Samuel 5:10). Eventually, through the line of David, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is born (Matthew 1:1). As such, this moment of subtle hostility from Saul is part of a greater narrative in which God’s purposes cannot be thwarted.
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1 Samuel 18:21 meaning
In this verse, we see King Saul’s hidden intent as “Saul thought, ‘I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.’ Therefore Saul said to David, ‘For a second time you may be my son-in-law today.’” (v.21) King Saul, who reigned over Israel approximately from 1050 BC to 1010 BC, conceives of a plan to use his daughter’s marriage to hinder David. Although David has already proven himself as a godly leader (as shown when he defeated Goliath in 1 Samuel 17), Saul seeks to exploit a family bond to place his young rival under continuous threat of enemy attack. The Philistines were a powerful group in the southwestern coastal region of Canaan, near the Mediterranean Sea, and they frequently warred with Israel. By giving his daughter to David, Saul hopes the Philistines’ aggression will serve as a stumbling block to the future king.
The subtlety in “that she may become a snare to him” (v.21) underscores Saul’s cunning nature. Instead of threatening David openly, Saul tries to manipulate circumstances so that David will face more challenges, hoping David will fall victim to the Philistines. Interestingly, the mention of “For a second time” (v.21) alludes to Saul’s earlier offer of his older daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:17-19), which did not come to fruition. Now Saul attempts once again to bring David into his family through Michal. This method of entrapment reveals how fear and jealousy can lead rulers to deceptive strategies, contrasting with the selfless leadership God desires (see John 10:14-15 for an example of sacrificial leadership shown in Jesus).
David’s acceptance of this marriage to Saul’s daughter would place him in the official role of a member of Saul’s royal house—an honor in appearance but ripe with potential danger. In the larger biblical narrative, David’s faith in God leads him to triumph over attempts to undermine him (2 Samuel 5:10). Eventually, through the line of David, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is born (Matthew 1:1). As such, this moment of subtle hostility from Saul is part of a greater narrative in which God’s purposes cannot be thwarted.